Page 114 of A Love Like Candle Light

“There goes my mysterious image.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “Anyway, she knows someone who knows someone who did a digitally aged-up picture with the photos of mom and dad you sent me. And for once, a data bank spit out a result and ta-da!” I shrug. “We found her.”

“I can't believe it.” She sighs and covers her mouth with her hand. “Does Frank know?”

“Yes, of course. He's the first one I called because nothing popped up in mine.”

“Right.” She nods. “The clearance thing. You mentioned it before.”

“Exactly. He ran the new image through all the databases he could and found her.”

She wipes another tear from the corner of her eye. “He must be so glad to solve this one.”

“He is. Apparently, he's retiring next year. I’m supposed to tell you ‘Hi’ from him.” Silence settles for a while, both of us trailing after our own thoughts.

Then I pull the real picture of her that Frank sent over out of my pocket, unfold it, and slide it across the table to her. She stares at it, not daring to pick it up. However, her eyes turn glassy again.

“I can't believe it.” She buries her face in her hands. “When are you going to talk to her?”

“Kylie and I are driving to her workplace tomorrow.” I rub the back of my neck. “I did let curiosity get the better of me and bought a book at her shop two days ago.”

“How did she seem?” She puts her elbows on the table and props her chin in her hands.

“She seemed well. Happy.”

“Oh God, this is so exciting.” She jumps up and paces the kitchen.

“Should I tell Dad?”

She stops abruptly, then turns to me in slow motion. “How are you planning on doing that?” She checks her watch. “You're not going to make it to visitation hours today. Did you want to stop by there tomorrow before you drive to work?”

“I was thinking about giving him a call.” I clear my throat.

“No,” she says firmly, finger pointed at me almost threateningly. “Your father might have messed up and opened the door to this whole clusterfuck of a situation, but he deserves to learn this from you face to face. You go tell him the next time you see him. Be it tomorrow or the day after. Sometime this week. Okay? Promise me?”

I hold up my hands defensively, palms facing her. “I promise.”

“Good.”

She resumes pacing and I can tell she’s spiraling the same amount, if not even worse than I did. “What are you thinking?”

“I don't know.” She turns around and walks toward me. “I want to drop everything and drive out to see her, but the poor child... I don't want to overwhelm her.”

“Me neither.” Silence settles for a minute, only the ticks of the old analogue clock on her kitchen shelf disturbing it. “You're not mad?”

“Mad?” Her eyebrows shoot up. “About what?”

“That I'm taking Kylie along.”

“Honey.” She walks over to me and puts her palm on my cheek. “You do whatever feels right. If the right thing is taking her along instead of me, then that's okay. I've waited twenty-five years to see your sister again.” Her lips tug into a sad smile. “A day or two or even a week longer is something I can live with.”

“Thank you.” I get up and let her pull me into a hug.

“I can't believe it,” she mumbles and sways our hug from left to right.

“This is the part where you say you never had any doubt in me.”

“Erik.” She breaks the hug and takes a step back. “I never doubted you. I doubted if she was still out there. Huge difference. And I'm just thankful that we get to meet her.”

“It's crazy, right?” I shake my head. “All of those years we searched for her. All those years they stole from us.”